Thermal illusions

Every object has a unique thermal signature, e.g. it emits optical radiations that uniquely depends on its shape and its temperature distribution. A team of researchers from CNRS laboratories in France (Institut Fresnel, LMGC, EM2C, IEMN) and Japan (LIMMS) has proposed a model to control the thermal signature of an object. This could lead to thermal illusions, for instance where an object camouflages the thermal presence of another one.

The paper has been published in Optical Express (here). See the coverage by Photoniques.com here (in French)